Al 0.5 In 0.5 P/Ga 0.5 In 0.5 P superlattice structures have been investigated as multiquantum barriers (MQB) in 630 nm band laser diodes in order to reduce thermal current losses. By inserting an optimized MQB, we have succeeded in improving both threshold currents and characteristic temperatures of such devices. However, the optimized dimensions of the MQB found experimentally deviated strongly from those predicted theoretically, indicating that the commonly used theoretical description assuming effective mass approximation, electron wave interference, and using transfer matrix calculation is not adequate.